


Stupid and Stubborn

by emotionalsupporthufflepuff



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blood and Injury, Drabble, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 18:42:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19978735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emotionalsupporthufflepuff/pseuds/emotionalsupporthufflepuff
Summary: Theo Nott didn't mean it, it just kind of...happened





	Stupid and Stubborn

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first swing at one of these so I hope it turned out alright.

Prompt: Theo Nott x Cormac McLaggen and 8th year

_ 7th year  _

"Don't die."

Theo Nott licked his lips willing any moisture to come back. He was sweating despite the bitter cold and his breath turned to fog upon contact with the air. The dark magic seemed to reverberate through his tendons making his muscles ache as he tried to prop up the much larger man off of the stone floor against the wall.

He hadn't meant it. He hadn't meant any of it. Not really, not truly. 

He had just been so tired. A soul-crushing mind-numbing edge of insanity kind of tired. The screaming from the Carrows and the other students jolted his brain in his skull and as he felt the magic travel his wand he knew not all of it was purposeful.

So he’d  _ crucio’d _ the mouthy Cormac McLaggen much harder than he meant to, in the newly instated Dark Arts class. The set up of cramming all the Slytherins in with all the Gryffindors had been a stroke of strategic genius from the otherwise dull-witted Carrow twins. Theo had been called upon to issue punishment to McLaggen for boasting that Potter would come and save them soon.

“And you, Nott, will end up in Azkaban, probably in the same cell as your fucking father-” Cormac was yelled, not even in a defensive position with his wand ready. All the other Grffyindors were yelling in support or telling him to shut up, the Slytherins were yelling back and the whole room was about to implode into a riot.

And then Theo had blacked out.

He came too when Amycus clapped loudly right behind his ear and called out “ Well done, well done. You’ve got it in you after all eh?”

Cormac was unconscious with a thin line of blood running from the corner of his mouth. Theo sprinted from the room to the bathroom and proceeded to be violently sick.

Now the curfew had fallen and Theo had snuck down to the dungeon where they were keeping Cormac til he recovered ( the hospital wing was full these days).

“Hey.” Theo slapped his cheek lightly. “ Look at me. Don’t die fucker. I’m not a murderer yet don’t make me won.” Cormac’s hazel eyes roved to Theos green. “That’s right I know you can hear me, you’re gonna be fine. You lion fucks are tough, don’t tell anyone I said that I’ll deny it.” McLaggen grinned, his teeth still stained with blood.

"Potter ... He managed before faltering.

"Either you know something I don't and please don't tell me what it is, or you are the stupidest fuck ever," Theo said leaning back against the wall next to him finally catching his breath for the first time all day. 

"Stupid " McLaggen took a staggering breath " and stubborn. Bad combination."

"That just might be what gets you through this thing." 

_ 8th year. _

Theo caught the sight of a familiar strawberry blonde head, loading books into a crate in the library. 

Making some kind of a feeble excuse to his group, he wandered over to the shelf, subtly bumping Cormac in the shoulder with his own. 

"Don't tell me you're still a student. " Theo said keeping his eyes on the rows of books ahead.

"Nah. I'm helping Slughorn until he talks Gwenog Jones into taking me on as equipment manager for the Harpies. I'm done with academics." 

Theo turned to him, stashing nervous hands in his pockets. “About last year-”

Cormac waved a hand and smiled the same crooked grin he always had and Theo’s heart fluttered uncomfortably. “We all did what we had to do. Stupid and stubborn remember?”

“You remember?”

“Oh yeah, I remember the whole thing, Theo. I shouldn’t have-” he cleared his throat.” When I get on with the Harpies, do you...maybe want to come to a game with me? When you're done here and all?” 

“Are you… is this like ..a…?”

Cormac shrugged “I don’t know what this is, to be honest. I just know that you are someone I want to spend time with and” another crooked grin and something flashing in his eyes “you’re not half bad looking.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Wow, that was, the worst pick up line. I don’t know McLaggen.” but even as he said it, Theo felt a smile creeping across his face. “Fine, I’ll give stupid and stubborn a chance.”


End file.
